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(11) | EP 0 100 238 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Acoustooptic modulation element and system |
| (57) Responsive to a plurality of parallel light beams and electric signals corresponding
to the parallel light beams, an acoustic modulation element produces output light
beams modulated by acoustic waves resulting from the electric signals. The element
comprises a single acoustooptic medium block receiving the parallel beams on a first
surface thereof and emitting the output light beams from a second surface opposite
to the first surface. A plurality of transducer units are laid in parallel on a third
surface of the block between the first and the second surface along the respective
parallel beams so as to propagate the acoustic waves into the block when activated
by the electric signals. The block may have a fourth surface opposite to the third
surface and arcuately or triangularly recessed toward the third surface. Preferably,
the transducer units are mounted on plateaus isolated from each other by a channel
formed between two adjacent ones of the plateaus, in order to avoid interferences
of the acoustic waves. The element is for use in combination with a beam splitter
member for producing the parallel beams in response to a single light beam. |